‘Far better’ STL Distribution’s ‘Willy Wonka’ store promotion creates a buzz, bishop supports stores

A year after its sale sparked fears for the future of the Christian retail industry, the United Kingdom’s main distributor is preparing to unveil a new name.

STL Distribution, based in Carlisle, is “launching a brand new identity in the new year,” said Marketing Director Pete Barnsley.

Bought by John Ritchie Ltd., when IBS-STL was sold off in late 2009, STL Distribution has since been “progressing encouragingly, and we’re looking forward to moving into the second year for the new company in a far better place than when we started the first year,” Barnsley said.

Retailers relieved by the distributor’s survival have also appreciated a recent Willy Wonka-style promotion offering around $1,500 in monthly prizes. Gold, silver and bronze tickets—similar to those in Roald Dahl’s classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory—were slipped into qualifying order shipments.

“We wanted to do something a little different, give something back, show some personality and put a smile on some retailers’ faces,” said Barnsley. “We’ve been pleasantly surprised about the amount of positive feedback we’ve received and the buzz it’s created.”

Part of the global Biblica ministry, IBS-STL was put up for sale—a move that Barnsley said sent “shockwaves” through the industry—after a series of financial problems, including the unsuccessful switch to a new computer system that affected shipments to stores.

The usual “excellent service” was resumed in the first quarter of 2010, Barnsley said. “We’ve been overwhelmed with encouraging messages of support and prayers from within the trade and we’ve been able to undertake a full business review to refocus the organization on rebuilding a strong business.”

Music supplier Kingsway ran into criticism after taking back distribution following the IBS-STL sale, from stores upset that the retail prices they were able to offer with the discounts they received were undercut by the company’s own online prices.

Kingsway announced it would increase discounts to 50% on initial pre-orders of new Kingsway titles and provide an option for stores to offer their own online sales through Kingsway’s Web site and develop the same opportunity for digital sales.

In a letter to retailers, Executive Director John Paculabo said that the company’s aim was to give stores customers “a choice of how and where to and replace some, if not all, of those sales that would otherwise be lost, either through customers changing their buying habits or choosing alternative methods of delivery (digital).”

Elsewhere, most of the 40-odd former Wesley Owen stores—the IBS-STL chain was the biggest in the U.K.—have continued in business, taken on variously by CLC International (U.K.), Australia’s Koorong chain and the Living Oasis charity.

But concern about the disappearance of more stores has prompted one church leader to suggest a campaign to encourage Christians to shop there more.

Writing in The Church Times, John Pritchard, the Anglican Bishop of Oxford, said that Christian retailers had an important role to play in helping fight falling Christian literacy. “The disappearance of Christian books from (Main Street) makes (Christian books) seem esoteric and cult-like,” he said. “We want people to browse, explore and be attracted to alternative titles.”

A new group promoting Christian books “could also encourage us to buy from Christian bookshops rather than online and give us a lead in praying for those shops and their unobtrusive ministry.”

His comments followed the third annual Day of Prayer for the Christian book and retail trade, Sept. 3. Among those taking part was Julie Buesnel, manager of Christians Solutions store on the Channel Island of Jersey, which at one point was “so full of praying and buying customers that I couldn’t get from one side to the other.”

She was encouraged by the support of customers, she said. “People are realizing that if they do buy from us instead of online and, maybe yes, pay a little more, what they are actually doing is supporting the mission side.”